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Patients with diabetes receiving prescribed heart medications through mail-service pharmacies are less likely to visit the emergency room than patients getting their medication at drugstores, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study

Washington D.C. (PRWEB)November 26, 2013

Patients with diabetes receiving prescribed heart medications through mail-service pharmacies are less likely to visit the emergency room than patients getting their medication at drugstores, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study. The new study adds to the growing body of evidence that home delivery of medications improves patient outcomes and reduce costs for consumers and payers, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) said today.

“This new study shows that patients using home delivery for chronic medicines have fewer hospital and emergency room visits,” said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt. “Improving medication adherence also means lower overall health care costs.”

The Kaiser Permanente study adds to other government and peer-reviewed research that confirm mail-service pharmacies lower costs for consumers and payers, improve accuracy, and increase medication adherence for those suffering from chronic conditions.

Visante. Mail-service pharmacies can save Medicare seniors, employers, unions, government employee plans, consumers, and other commercial-sector payers $46.6 billion in prescription drug costs over the next ten years, according to a 2012 study from Visante.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC concluded in a 2005 report that PBM-owned mail-order pharmacies offer lower prices on prescription drugs than retail pharmacies and are very effective at capitalizing on opportunities to dispense generic medications.

The Journal of General Internal Medicine. In a 2011 report, the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that patients receiving their prescription medications through a mail-service pharmacy achieved better cholesterol control compared to those who obtained their statin prescriptions from their local pharmacy.

Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG): A 2013 OIG report found that Tricare’s mail-service pharmacy program saves money, controls waste, and generates 96% satisfaction among America’s Uniformed Service members, retirees and their families.